According to a new survey, 74% of Americans live with chronic digestive symptoms including diarrhea, gas, bloating, and abdominal pain. What many people may not know is that these symptoms could indicate a more serious condition related to the nerves.

The central nervous system controls all the organs in the body, including the stomach, intestines, gallbladder, and other abdominal functions. If an abdominal organ is in trouble, it may send excessive signals back to the brain. This can cause a sensation of discomfort in either the area near the organ or in one of the pain referral areas associated with that organ. A well-known organ that refers pain is gallbladder, and the gallbladder can refer pain to the back and shoulder area when it becomes symptomatic.

According to a recent study by Dr. [name?] Takeda, there is a possible link between misalignments in the spine causing nerve interference (vertebral subluxations) and Crohn’s disease. This research, published in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research, emerged from a previous study involving more than 3,000 patients diagnosed with allergies and over 1,000 non-allergic patients. It focused on the relationship between immune function, spinal displacements called vertebral subluxations, and how reducing those displacements resulted in improvement – and in some cases complete remission – of symptoms of Crohn’s disease. This is just one of many research studies demonstrating the power of specific chiropractic adjustments and the digestive system.

Also worth noting is that one of the areas chiropractic helps with the most is stress. Many people notice that when they are in periods of stress, their appetites and digestive patterns change. In a sense, the gut – with its extensive neural network – has a mind of its own, though it is still dependent on the brain. Chiropractic adjustments reduce stress on a cellular (including neurological) level, which in turn alleviate digestive issues.